Who are Brent and Lorelle VanFossen?

Brent and Lorelle, together, share over 40 years of photographic experience. They are well known for their enthusiastic approach to nature photography, not only with images and writing, but also through workshops and programs. The VanFossens offer a variety of programs dedicated to nature and the outdoors, focusing on nature photography. Currently, they are presenting nature photography and other programs in Israel, their home for the past few years, and are ready and willing to travel anywhre to share their love of nature and travel photography. Not long ago, they offered their “Taking Your Camera on the Road” seminar online in the Compuserve Photography Forum. They are frequent guests on programs and zines on the Internet including on the RV Forum and other travel and outdoor sites. Another recent unusual venue for one of their flexible programs was with North Carolina’s Piedmont Quilting Guild with an original program helping participants understand and recognize the patterns in nature.

According to Brent, ” Teaching is a big part of what we do. We enjoy the hands-on work with individuals. We love what we do with a total sense of passion and dedication. I love being outside and exploring the world, as does Lorelle, and we enjoy showing people how extraordinary it all is. When we are excited about our work, others share in that excitement.”

From 1996 to 1999, Brent and Lorelle lived on the road in their 30 foot fifth wheel trailer following the seasons and wildlife across North America. Beginning in Seattle, their travels took them to Florida, Alaska, and back across the continent to Florida, eventually to North Carolina for a year. Now, they are living in Israel for a few years, exploring Europe and Asia from Tel Aviv. Who knows where they might end up next?

With a degree from Oklahoma State University in engineering, Brent’s technical inclination enhances his creativity and unique vision through photography. Besides teaching photography, his images are featured in a wide range of publications. Brent’s first published image was on the cover of The Mountaineer magazine, a first-time honor few can claim.

Brent started out in photography as a hobby with his father. They soon turned the laundry room into a darkroom and Brent’s first photographic competition was the dirty clothes. He took every vacation opportunity to expand his photographic talent and ability. Brent’s family has always been very supportive, often helping him find subjects. His sister, Lisa, who traveled with him when he moved to Seattle, spotted the famous red-legged frog under a leaf in the Olympic National Park. A year later it ended up on the cover of The Mountaineer magazine.

With photography still a hobby, Brent’s engineering degree started him at Boeing in Kansas and eventually Washington State. Leaving Seattle with his wife, Lorelle, for two years traveling on the road, he returned to his love of aircraft structural engineering in North Carolina for 18 months and now to Israel, working on passenger-to-cargo airplane modifications for Israel Aircraft Industries. Little did he realize his “boring” engineering job, combined with his love for photography, would lead him to take his camera on the road around the world.

Beginning her photographic studies in fashion and glamor, Lorelle soon had a solid resume of published writings and photo credits ranging from annual reports to national and local magazines. Her love of nature and travel brought her to the Mountaineers, the nation’s oldest outdoor recreational organization, where she produced successful educational photography programs and workshops for many years. She is a featured writer in Outdoor and Nature Photography Magazine and has been a bimonthly columnist for two travel publications. Lorelle was one of the first nature photographers with a column on nature photography in a travel webzine.

Lorelle’s love of nature came early as a child growing up among the unspoiled beauty of the Lake Stevens area of Washington State then later moving to Mukilteo, home of Boeing. Much of her once vast wilderness is now a memory under pavement, subdivisions, and overbuilding, which only encouraged her to become passionate about conservation and preservation. While traveling with the international educational organization, Up With People, she took every opportunity she could to share her love of nature with others, including volunteering to work in a vet clinic and wildlife rehabilitation center. In the photo to the left, she calms a lion cub before an on stage presentation of the cub to the Milwaukee Zoo by the Lions Club and Up With People.

Together, Brent and Lorelle’s work has been featured in Outdoor and Nature Photography Magazine, Arriving Magazine, Bill Cooper’s CruiseLetter, The Mountaineer, PSA Journal, Shutterbug, Everett Herald, Doll Magazine, Jerusalem Post, Women in Business Magazine, and a variety of newspapers and commercial publications.

Information

Taking Your Camera on the Road is about the adventures and lessons learned along the way of Brent and Lorelle VanFossen as they hit the road full-time in 1996. We talk about photography, cameras, travel, RVs, and the places we've visited and lived along the journey.

For information on WordPress, please visit Lorelle on WordPress. You will find information on hiring Lorelle VanFossen for your web development and multimedia online publishing needs.